Toyota’s creative agency had a lofty goal of 300% more engagement when they started on their user-generated content plan.

When they blew that goal out of the water, Kirsten Matthew from Media Blanco (their agency) said this:

We were confident leveraging authentic user-generated content would attract positive engagement from our audience, but even we were surprised just how much more effective it was. We’re thrilled with the results and proud of the campaign we were able to deliver for Toyota.

First, post the rules (make sure you only open the contest to people that follow your account).
Next, ask followers to use a specific hashtag (tied to your brand) for the chance to win a prize.
Choose a winner at random, or let a judging panel choose.
Promote the winner along with the great prize they won and offer a teaser to your next contest to diminish a post-contest drop in followers.

Here’s an example of a contest with a simple hashtag that generated over 1,500 entries in 25 days.

The number of hashtags is another key to success. Make sure your contest has at least one (obviously), but don’t overdo it.

When it comes to UGC, Apple takes a different approach… Apple quietly scours the Internet for the best UGC, then contacts those content creators to buy rights. The result? The “Shot on iPhone” campaign, with more than 10,000 billboard installations around the world…

Basically, we’re trying to get a number… we use a quiz to get the number. It gives people something to look at, an object to think with. I think these quizzes are a kind of focus for attention for thinking about yourself.